The present disclosure relates to a leak indicator for indicating leaks in insulating layers and other elements where an indication of liquid leaks is desired or required, and for sampling leaked liquid for further investigation.
Insulated pipelines, vessels, and steel structures are common in the process industry, on offshore installations, on vessels etc. Such insulation is common to reduce heat loss from the structure, to provide improved fire resistance for the structure, to reduce safety issues of hot surfaces and other reasons. Such insulation may however be problematic as it significantly impedes inspection of the underlying structure and tends to collect and maintain moisture and humidity. Rust and corrosion is a particular problem.
Identification of the presence of liquids is common in many applications and such identification techniques frequently rely on electric signals. Such measurements do however rely on electricity. Electricity may be problematic to use, in particular on installations where explosion hazards are present. Electric systems relying on batteries or an external electric power source also require more maintenance to ensure reliability. Such systems will typically only provide an indication of the presence of a liquid, but not a liquid sample.
A different type of system is shown in GB 2 273 167. This publication shows a fluid supply system with a leak detection device. A device includes a pad of fluorinated silicone which expands on contact with fuel to push a red button into view.